There’s a lot to deal with when you talk about the Bills. I’m going to take the playoff drought off the table, because I’m not here to replay those. But I do want to talk about the poisonous nature of the Bills organization right now and how sad it is. And I want to really dig deep into this because, going into next year I’d love for the fan base to be as #woke as possible, so that there’s no trap-door to fall into this time next year.
Players, Ryan feel burden of missing playoffs. #Bills https://t.co/Ola6wJPqFf
— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrownBills) December 21, 2015
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Yesterday during my review of the Washington game, I got a tweet from @TheDefenseman, asking what I’d ask the new GM and HC in an interview. It’s a great question I think needs to carry over and respond to this tweet out of the BB.com article. Articles like these will start to flow and show just “how hurt” the team is they didn’t make it.
If there’s so much angst and hand wringing over the lack of playoffs, why are people hopping over themselves to leak things to the media?
Why is the head coach hell-bent on running a system despite the talent of the players on hand?
And for the fans:
Why is it okay for Sammy to call out the team, but Mario is a pariah for asking why they aren’t prepared defensively each week with personnel?
Why do you put a Quarterback that is playing better than any other that’s played the position in almost 12 years out to be “less than” merely because he’s not Brady or Rodgers or Roethlisberger?
And my challenge to you all (and myself) – Why are you falling for it?
Leadership Vacuum: “Continuity” is a term that gets used a lot, typically with GMs or Coaches. But you really have to think about how well that continuity will serve you. If you have 10 years of Dick Jauron as Joe has said, what does that get you?
Look at a team like the Steelers. When Mike Tomlin was hired he was a dyed in the wool supporter of the Tampa 2 system. He gets to a team that’s been 3-4 for almost 20 years and says, “hey, let’s not fix what isn’t broken” and keeps it moving. They might add a wrinkle or two from his days under Dungy, but for the most part the zone blitz team they’ve been is maintained. In fact, a smaller guy like a Ryan Shazier (key pick yesterday) can play in there because they’ve bent the system a little bit.
Now look at Buffalo. What Rex has done to this defense is just nauseating. The man that ran the defense in Baltimore is gone; the flexibility is gone; now it’s a husk that is hell-bent to prove he was wronged in New York. That’s really sad to me, because if Rex had taken a step back and just gave the defense space it would’ve been a great thing. Similar to how the Bills hired LeBeau and he added zone blitz stuff to the Gray/Williams defense. Instead, Rex wants to play defensive coordinator while doing the funny press conferences. No Bueno.
And then you add in the rumors – who is rogue, who isn’t; who’re the insurgents? All of this is really unnecessary for a team that’s entering its 16th season of no playoffs. To have a General Manager who doesn’t know if he’s coming and going, a head coach that had bred zero accountability and a #OneBuffalo mindset only to undermining a key player is really sad.
That’s why when at the end of the year I hear about a unified front, I’ll roll my eyes and return to my regularly scheduled programming. Show, not tell.
Final Hawt Taeks
I do not want to hear about injuries and “bad luck” going into this season either. The Seattle Seahawks were 2-4 at one point this season and are now 9-5 and already in the playoffs. That’s leadership. That’s resilience. That’s coaching and players and front office being in lockstep.
No offense to the Four Falls of Buffalo film, but if you want to get THIS Buffalo team right, the Pegulas should look to teams like the Seahawks that are a few games away from having a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance. One more and that gets to “squeaky bum time” as my Brit friends would say. If that were to happen, I would hope the Bills alumni wouldn’t be as petty as Miami guys, actively rooting for the Seahawks to fail in a fourth bid.
Quarterback: There’s been a storm brewing with this for a while and week 15 finally caught me. Tyrod Taylor is a good quarterback. When we talk about how great Sammy’s been the last few weeks, somehow the assumption is that the ball is throwing itself. When we talk about how Tyrod is caught between running and passing and decide not to include the lack of competent blocking between Mills and Miller, you cheat him again. And when no one wants to speak up about how Tyrod is now also playing receiver more and more as Manuel comes in for situational wildcat we’re ignoring the fact that the Bills are using Tyrod Taylor as a panacea for any offensive issues.
Also, I’m reading, I’m hearing and I’m seeing a lot of blame placed on him because he should make the players around him better. As I just stated, is Sammy not enjoying a monster second half of this season? Wasn’t Charles Clay the top receiver prior to his injury?
Stats can lie, but reality cannot. And the reality of this year is that Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Matt Stafford, Matt Ryan, Eli Manning and Jay Cutler aren’t going into the playoffs this year. Are they just defective, or did their teams over-rely on that sentiment?
I get it. He’s not Brady or Rodgers or Manning or Roethlisberger. But let’s play the game of “who can they get next year to be better?”:
Drew Brees – Can be a cap casualty in the new league year. Are you going to trust that Brees will want to play for anything less than the “franchise QB” money of around 20 million per year? Okay, are you going to trust that he’ll be healthy enough to be effective behind the current right side of the line? Bueller?
Matt Stafford – This is a man that has a human cheat code at WR that he sometimes forgets about, but you for the low, low cost of a 1st rounder and some other picks can get him and the 33 million remaining on his contract. If this happened the Bills would most likely extend out his contract, but would he want to trade one rust belt sadness factory for another? And should he get to Buffalo, will this just be the first 5,000 passer in Bills history (and no playoffs?)
Jay Cutler – If you think Tyrod needs to “step up” and “be assertive like Jim used to be” I point to the disappoint-bot 5000, heretofore known as Jay Cutler. Get through a season without 10+ picks and I’ll call you lucky; Get through a game without the “doooon’t care” look on his face and I’ll give you a million bucks. Again, he’ll cost you picks and money just to get a 10 year vet with a name. Congrats.
Whither Mario: I’ve heard callers on WGR announce that he’s a bum and he’s lazy and not giving full effort. Or that he’s playing to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. I wanna peel this one back slowly, because for you, Joe Fan that thinks that, I cannot deal with you anymore. Why? Because you’re admitting that all 60+ men that play for the Buffalo Bills are sacrificing their bodies for the sake of their livelihoods and you don’t like it when they think about the big picture. When a GM does it it’s great vision; when a coach does it, he’s x plays ahead of competition; when a player does it it’s “not giving your all”. You have a ten year vet in Williams watching Aaron Williams fight back from a neck injury that might end his career and says “nope” when you want him to 2-gap, hop a back and get your QB? NOPE NOPE NOPE. You wanna say Mario’s a cancer, great. Quietest dude on the team is a cancer, let’s take him off the board. What about Hughes? He’s committing penalties at a breakneck pace, but because he has 6 sacks that’s a-okay? What about Dareus? He’s said the same things and he’s the latest recipient of a 100 million dollar contract. Should I expect the shrapnel to hit him in year 4 of his contract as well?
This is the same guy people were willing to commit seppuku over had his flight gone to Tennessee, yet now all I hear is “good riddance”. All because Mario Williams dared to speak truth to power? You do realize that players, both on the team and in the NFL are noticing this right?
Because at the end of the season when contracts are up, why should Cordy Glenn stay? The second that the offensive staff falls out of favor with him, the rumors of “he gained too much weight” or “he’s making too much for LT, but should play Guard or Tackle” will start up…again. If were his agent, I’d tell the Bills thanks, but no thanks and look to go to free agency, where you can find a less messy organization and get paid top dollar. And if Buffalo wanted to franchise him, let them do it and risk not being able to sign others (oh boy will fans love that!) as well as setting the stage for a Sophie’s choice situation with Glenn and Gilmore in 17.
And before you comment and mention how much I hate the team, or something of that nature – give me a reason he should stay, outside of “Because…Buffalo”.
Finally, here’re a couple of micro level things I just had to get off the ole chest that can hit the macro if you’re not paying attention:
Don’t take the bait: That could be an article, a caller, a tweet. Life’s too short to bite on em all and that’s part of the reason I wrote this to begin with. Mike Rodak didn’t make this team bad or mis-managed. Sully’s dog whistles, while sad and out of touch aren’t the reason the Bills let up a touchdown on 2nd and 26. Just don’t give em space in your head and you’ll be a-ok.
Don’t let this get to you: I wear this team on my sleeve at times. It shows when it gets to this point in the season. The jokes from Steeler friends are less-than-well received. The time I spend thinking about the draft is usually the same year-round, but now I’m hoping players I like go to other teams so I can avoid the cycle. Don’t let it get to this point. Not worth it. This year, instead I’m gonna learn to watch more hockey. I’m going to show my kid comics and hiking. And I’m going to debate strongly if I should bother fighting him becoming a Steelers fan.
That’s all I got folks. Enjoy your holiday and we’ll see you on the flip.
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